Resolved: Stuff. You?

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I have resolved stuff because I am all 2013 that way.

Here’s a few of my resolutions for 2013

Less refined sugar in my diet. I feel I am now well-positioned for this step as my diet over the last 2-3 weeks has been primarily sugar-based. Protein…proootein…..
Have the first sequel to Lord Ruin on sale by June 30th
Read more books by authors I know I’ll love but haven’t yet read.
Less complaining about certain things and more actually doing something to remove the things I complain about.
Invite some bloggers whose work I adore to guest blog here.
More polls. They’re like cowbells. We just need more.
When I read a really crappy eBook, I will return it THEN I will write scornful things about it.
Ponder the role of zombies in literature.
Write more.
Write more risky stuff.

What am I missing? What are some of your resolutions?

Oh Hey! It’s the first poll of the New Year

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Posted in Former Riskies, Frivolity, Reading | Tagged Dukish rakes, Polls, Time travel | 16 Replies

Ooh, A Research Book!

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I stumbled across a reasonably affordable copy of The Regency Companion and bought it. Maybe the library had two since the stamp says “Outdated or Redundant.”

Outdated? Photo by Yours Truly

Ah. Research. Very timely as I am about to embark on The Next Historical.

Still, I decided to have a little fun with this book, so I rearranged some of the sentences.

Mr. Coke was just as remarkable as his house. Though enthralled with the perfection of Leicestershire as England’s premiere hunting field, Nimrod was not immune to its problems. All knew that a man showed his mettle on the hunting field. Guns were fired off from both the park and the tower. The most dazzling private pack [ ] was the Duke of Rutland’s, [but] gloriously attired ladies, each sporting a plume, were the true spectacle. Torn between the desire to laugh at the sight or frown in irritation at the time and effort it took to achieve this ridiculous style, the Comtesse could decide only that it became her very well indeed. She was one of the beauties of her day and famed for her equestrian exploits. The Stud Book firmly put all breeding on record. How each hotblooded young buck and his older elegant counterpart made use of these opportunities was left up to his own skill and imagination. [H]er feelings were still loverlike and constant. Youthful infatuation died an ugly death.

Posted in Former Riskies, Frivolity, Research | Tagged Words Have An order | 5 Replies

A Regency Mad-Lib-Poll-Thingy

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I hope this works! I’m crowdsourcing this post. Pick one in each category to construct the story…

It was a fine day to be walking in the Cotswoalds and Miss

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was happy to be walking and to have her delightful dog at her side. She wore her finest

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secure in the knowledge that she looked smashing. She walked all the way to the edge of forest and there she stopped, for she knew Lord

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had a reputation for

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those who came too close to his demense. She shuddered with horror at the thought of such a fate. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A bird flew from a bush like a

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with her beloved dog in pursuit. She ran to the rescue of her pet, calling out ”

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! Here, my beloved pet! Oh dear, I mean, Come back, you VISCIOUS BEAST!” for what did she see but his Lordship

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Their gazes locked and she swooned.

When she woke up, she was ……

Finish in the comments.

Posted in Former Riskies, Frivolity | Tagged You do the heavy lifting | 7 Replies

The Wire . . . I am on it – plus another poll

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I’m working on preparing the final files for the 5th book in my My Immortals Series. Hopefully by the end of the week I’ll be able to start uploading. But this means I have been very, very busy with html and css and viewing files on devices and generally deciding that since Apple can deal with a lovely drop cap, then Apple readers will get my lovely drop caps and other devices will get something a bit more spare. Still looks nice, though.

The Poll. It’s tricksy.

You can pick up to five.

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Explain yourself in the comments.

Posted in Former Riskies, Frivolity | Tagged Colors, Eleventy, Polls | 6 Replies

Style. Sort of.

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

For me, the early stage of writing a book tends to be the most difficult. The story I see and feel in my head is not what’s getting down on paper and, despite the fact that I know better, I continue to be stubborn about the direction to go. And every time I go through this I think about the story I read about celebrated mystery writer Rex Stout, who, this story went, would sit down at his typewriter and write his story and keep going until he was done. One version, no revisions necessary. Done. And what about Michael Moorcock whose book on the subject of writing seemed, to me, to be so blithe about the difficulties– I know I came away with the impression that he didn’t feel writing was difficult at all. Whenever he felt stuck, he put his characters under attack. Not plot moppets but plot attacks!

I’m at that dangerous place in my story where I always think about giving up and writing something else… That shinier story that has the advantage of not having 15 chapters of awful.

Inspiration!

But then I’ll see something inspiring, like the dress pictured in this blog post: I found that, by the way, from a tweet by Candice Hern. If you’re not following her on twitter, you should be.

Go look at that dress.

It’s just gorgeous. Now I want to write a scene where my heroine is wearing a gown like that. How, how I ask you, could a hero NOT fall in love with a woman wearing a dress like that? Imagine how it would look in candlelight. :::sigh:::

Step Away From the Keyboard, Ma’am

This is why I should never be allowed near the internet:

First, I thought, WAIT! PINTEREST! I can pin that beautiful gold gown! So I go to pinterest and wonder, when I get there, why there are so many pictures of Arjun Rampal and then I got distracted (safe for work except, well, if anyone sees you it will be obvious you’re not working….) Really: I have 4 boards (5 now) and the only ones with more than one pin are my books and Arjun Rampal.

Anyway, I managed to create a board to pin the gold gown and THEN I ended up at this website Regency Society of America with its posting section on fabrics and then Esty where I looked at gorgeous pictures of Regency-style wedding gowns AND THIS website, Reproduction Fabrics.

So right. I better end this post here.

Who’s on Pinterest? Leave your pinterest info in the comments so I can follow your stuff.